Crime
News Express Publisher Writes Haleems Founder, Demands N1bn Over Alleged Defamation, Business Disruption
The Publisher of News Express, Mr. Isaac Umunna, has written to the Founder of Haleems Integrated Services Limited, Dr. Halimat Adenike Tejuosho, demanding a public apology and payment of ₦1 billion as compensation for alleged defamation and the unlawful disruption of his company’s business operations.
The demand was contained in a letter dated December 30, 2025, issued through his legal representatives, Adewale & Adewale LP.
According to the letter, the suspension of the domain — https://newsexpressngr.com — disrupted the publication’s operations for several hours and caused significant reputational and financial damage.
Umunna’s lawyers stated that on the evening of Monday, September 1, 2025, the News Express website suddenly became inaccessible. Repeated attempts to access it failed, prompting the paper’s webmaster, Mr. Afam Nnaji of Lagos-based Just Web Services, to contact HostAfrica, a South Africa-based domain registration company.
HostAfrica reportedly responded via email, explaining that the domain had been suspended following a petition from Dr. Tejuosho. The petition allegedly claimed that News Express had published a false story about her and that when approached, the publisher insisted on being paid before removing the report.
Adewale & Adewale LP described those allegations as false and defamatory.
“Contrary to your claims, our client never received any complaint whatsoever regarding the referenced publication,” the lawyers stated. “He could not, therefore, have engaged you in any discussion, let alone demand payment as a condition for pulling down the story.”
The firm argued that by alleging that the publisher refused to take down the publication and instead attempted to solicit money, Dr. Tejuosho portrayed Mr. Umunna as an unethical journalist who fabricates stories and extorts money to remove them.
In the letter signed by the Managing Partner of the firm, Mr. Timothy Adewale, the lawyers detailed Mr. Umunna’s professional background, describing him as a respected and award-winning international journalist with nearly four decades of unblemished practice.
They noted that he has held senior editorial and management positions across several reputable media organisations, including Deputy Editor and Acting Editor of The Week Magazine, Chief Operating Officer of M2 Weekly Magazine, Editor of The Moment on Sunday, Managing Editor of City Mail Newspaper, and General Editor of the London-based Africa Today Magazine.
The letter further stated that throughout his 39-year journalism career, Mr. Umunna has never been queried, disciplined, or dismissed by any employer and that News Express has not faced a single lawsuit in over 13 years of operation.
The lawyers also highlighted several professional recognitions received by the publisher, including his nomination as Nigeria’s Print Journalist of the Year in 1996 by the Nigerian Media Merit Award (NMMA), recognition by The International Herald Tribune of Paris as a leading Nigerian political journalist in 2005, and his receipt of the Diageo Africa Business Reporting Award in London the same year.
Additional honours cited include a Merit Award at the Siemens Profile Awards for Journalism Excellence in South Africa in 2006 and his appointment in 2010 as Special Assistant on Media to the late Professor Dora Akunyili during her tenure as Nigeria’s Minister of Information and Communications.
The law firm told Dr. Tejuosho that as a result of the alleged defamatory statements made to HostAfrica, Mr. Umunna suffered humiliation, emotional and psychological distress, and substantial financial losses.
They claimed that the temporary shutdown of the website caused breaches of advertising contracts with several local and international clients, including the Central Bank of Nigeria, First Bank of Nigeria, Konga Nigeria, Adipolo of New York, and Kolorowey of New Delhi, India.
Based on these claims, the lawyers demanded the following from Dr. Tejuosho:
A written apology and formal retraction of the alleged false and malicious statements made against their client;
A letter to HostAfrica clarifying that the allegations against News Express and its publisher were false; and
A bank-certified cheque of ₦1 billion as damages for defamation and the unjust disruption of business operations.
The letter gave Dr. Tejuosho a 14-day ultimatum to comply with the demands, failing which the publisher said he would pursue legal action.
News Express
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